On July 12th, more than 150 advocates, organizers, and legislators celebrated the passage of many young adult justice reforms. The celebration was all about celebrating youth voices, coalition work, and how the House and Senate together championed many great young adult justice reforms, including expungement! We were honored to have House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Incoming Senate President Karen Spilka, Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, Senator William Brownsberger, Rep. Kay Khan, Rep. Andy Vargas and others speak.

Graduation season was in full swing as the 2Gen Center hosted UTEC’s first ever preschool graduation during House Meal. Children, parents, AmeriCorps members, and staff celebrated the soon-to-be kindergartners on their next step in their learning journey and reminisced about classroom memories through photos.

Since the 2Gen Center @ UTEC opened last fall, our teachers witnessed constant growth in each child as well as the program. Much growing revolved around three basic rules of preschool: Be safe, be neat, be kind.

Be safe – Safe with our bodies and emotions. Children learned to recognize their emotions and use their words to solve problems. Discussions with children about mixed emotions going to a new school: excited for new opportunity, sad because of leaving 2Gen, anxious about meeting new people.

Be neat – Children have responsibilities to promote independence by cleaning up after themselves, dressing themselves, etc.

Be kind – How do we treat people? For example, Kavani was a teacher who would walk other children through conflict resolution. Jaeda would tell people when she felt strongly about a situation. The 2Gen Center teaches children to be caring and compassionate, and to be independent with their needs.

Seth Johnson, UTEC’s Early Education Director, was humbled by each of the encouraging words and numerous expressions of gratitude from parents and grandparents. It was truly a joy and a privilege to have influenced the development of each of these children.

Gun violence, including gang-related gun violence, is unfortunately growing in America. Bullets don’t have names on them, yet they claim lives year after year. How do we reclaim our communities that are flooded with gun and gang violence?

On June 13th, young adults, along with UTEC staff and AmeriCorps members, congregated inside Cafe UTEC to discuss these concerns. Alex S., a young adult at UTEC, courageously shared a presentation on gun violence and facilitated group discussions. The event was supported by a Youth-led Community Conversations Mini Grant from United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.

Alex shared her experience of being surrounded by guns as a child and how it has affected her journey into adulthood. “Growing up in the Dominican Republic, I was always around guns. My father had tons of guns around the house. Sometimes he’d let us shoot around in the backyard,” says Alex. Holding a gun made her feel empowered, but she also knew they were dangerous, especially since she personally knew victims of gun violence.

A few years later, Alex came to the United States. She was juggling a job and school until she had to face a criminal charge. “I had nothing. My family and I had to gain the strength to get back up and regain the strength we thought we had. Since then I got involved with UTEC, and that has been the best responsible decision I have made.” Working and taking HiSet classes at UTEC has been a challenge, but with the support of her peers and fellow staff members, Alex remains strong, motivated, and positive.

After showing a video clip of spoken word that related to her life, Alex facilitated a group discussion to raise awareness on gun and gang violence. She helped attendees break into small groups and shared a list of six discussion questions that she had created. Questions included “What are you fighting for?” and “How do you fight the fight without losing?”

Each group was able to present a summary of their discussion on the question that they found most thought-provoking. Then another young adult, Filix, shared his personal experience with gangs and concerns about gun violence affecting his family and friends: “There is no winning, there’s just staying out of it.”

As Alex wrapped up the group discussion, she answered one of her questions for herself: “What does being in a gang do for you besides you having protection? Nothing.”

Thanks to United Way, an organization that helps improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world, for helping young people throughout Massachusetts lead community conversations about gun violence.

Parents and children of the 2Gen Center @ UTEC recently came together on a trip to Boston Children’s Museum. While preparing to load into the van, everyone shared artworks including a series of crayon self-portraits and painted stick sculptures. The group rode over to Boston, each talking about what they most looked forward to at the museum. One boy wore his Star Wars t-shirt, honoring the tradition of May the 4th be with you. He would later be met by a real-life Chewbacca.

Over at the museum, the kids each ate a snack before venturing up a three-story climbing sculpture. It turns out it can get pretty scary at the top, but one mom braved the heights to meet her daughter halfway. They crawled down together, following instructions from the other kids until they reached one of the openings at the bottom of the net. The kids then led their own explorations of a magnets play station, boxes they could stick their hands into to identify the objects, and massive bubble wands. Three kids crawled beneath a globe-like turtle tank to watch them swim from below; everyone followed. Two swings operated via pulley gave a father and son the chance to compete in pulling their own weight, racing to the top. At a golf ball play station, the kids simulated a tornado affect, manipulated a roller coaster, and rested on a bench made entirely of golf balls.

At lunch, the kids played with a table-top bingo game while eating sandwiches and fruit. A final game of tag was brought to a close with the walk outside to the pier for a group photo. In a museum built for young folks, the kids reminded their parents about the power of play as everyone learned and explored together.

UTEC’s CEO Gregg Croteau was among a group of state leaders to travel to Germany to study their criminal justice system for young adults as part of a 20-member delegation of state leaders. The educational trip was organized by Columbia Justice Lab‘s Emerging Adult Project, led by Lael Chester and Vinny Schiraldi, and funded through the generous support of a private foundation.

The Justice Lab then hosted a briefing on the trip to Germany at Boston Bar Association. The event featured a panel discussion with trip participants, including Chief Justice of the Trial Court Paula Carey, Department of Youth Services Commissioner Peter Forbes, and Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins.

Read more on the Lowell Sun News article that highlighted the involvement of District Attorney Marian Ryan, Representative Sheila Harrington, and UTEC’s Gregg Croteau.

During the Boston Bar Association conversation, UTEC CEO Gregg Croteau mentioned, “It was clear that rehabilitation is really the number one issue in their youth prison. This premise, that is actually a major focus of their penal law, really justifies their approach and investment in educational and workforce programming behind the walls … If we can keep this group engaged during this critical time period, even if there’s bumps along the way, we can keep them out of incarceration and focused on their next positive steps.”

The recently passed criminal justice legislation also calls for a young adult justice task force that is charged with studying the treatment and impact of individual ages 18-24 in the court and correctional systems. Many leaders participating in the Germany trip will be involved in this task force as well as the state continues to explore possibilities.

Thank you again to the Columbia Justice Lab for offering this opportunity to build our understanding of innovative approaches for best serving young adults who are involved in the justice system.

Interested in learning more about the European approach on emerging adult justice? Catch the State House News Service article written by Katie Lannan.

At UTEC, we are surrounded by images that represent our values and actions. We use photos to express outcomes and impact that can’t easily be expressed through words. Without photos, we wouldn’t be able to convey our important message to you.

We’d like to thank our photographers for going above and beyond by capturing our memories and creating a legacy for our future. From taking HiSet classes to woodworking and catering candids, our photographers helped us share UTEC’s untold stories. Madd Love to Adrien Bisson Photography, MegPix, Jill Goldman, Teri Bonatti Photography, and Peg Shanahan for taking their time to see beyond the mask with our young people.

Be sure to check out their stunning work and support local photographers.

Between May 3 – 5, Doors Open Lowell will host their 17th annual event during National Preservation Month to celebrate Lowell’s architectural heritage, urban living, and culture that makes the community a creative and exciting place to live, work, and visit.

We invite you to visit our historic, LEED Platinum-certified green building for guided tours as part of Doors Open Lowell! Our doors will be open at 35 Warren Street on Saturday, May 5th from 10 am – 1 pm.

With 31 buildings open for viewing, there’s something for everyone including rehabilitated mills, lofts, and churches along with a variety of special tours and other activities. As part of the Lowell National Historical Park‘s 40th anniversary this year, look for sites related to the Park including the Kirk Street Agents House, Tsongas Industrial History Center, and several gatehouses along the canal system.

Lowell was the first city in the United States to launch this prestigious event dedicated to preservation, architecture, and design which is presented as part of the community’s National Preservation Month activities. Each May you can explore many of Lowell’s historic buildings, from residential lofts to churches to rehabilitated mills and everything in between. Doors Open Lowell is completely FREE with no registration or tickets required.

Buildings will be open Friday, May 4 from 6 – 9 pm and Saturday, May 5 from 10 am – 1 pm and 1 – 4 pm. Please note that all buildings will not be open at all times, so please plan carefully to see all of your favorites!

We are thrilled to invite you to join UTEC as we celebrate the grand opening of the The Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue UTEC Hub for Social Innovation! It has been a long time in the making and with much persistence, perseverance, and support from our donors — we are finally able to take that final step and open our doors!

UTEC’s Hub for Social Innovation comprises three areas: The Catalyst Center, 2Gen Center, and Community Kitchen. The Grand Opening of the Hub is now set for May 17th, 2018 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, with free admission and activities for all ages.

Enjoy refreshments from UTEC’s own catering social enterprise and take tours of the new building. A short program and naming ceremony will take place during the event with Governor Charlie Baker and other special guests. RSVP for this free celebration by May 10th.

Catalyst Center

The Catalyst Center will be a place where everyone can come across new discoveries. A former Masonic Lodge, the dramatic domed ceiling features a beautiful star – uncovered and repaired during the 2016 renovation of the space. It is a carpeted and colorful space, ideal for training, meetings, conferences, and other gatherings.

2Gen Center

The 2Gen Center @ UTEC provides the children (ages 0-5) of UTEC-enrolled young adults with high-quality early childhood education. By serving both generations here at UTEC, we help young parents become more engaged in their children’s development and further strengthen family stability.

Community Kitchen (Ground Floor)

UTEC’s Community Kitchen is the largest rental commercial kitchen space in the Merrimack Valley area. Offering 5,000 square feet designed for up to three distinct production spaces, with multiple workstations and a wide array of processing, cooking, and packaging equipment. With flexible scheduling and competitive rental rates, this facility includes ample room to store, prepare, and finish a variety of food products.

Follow UTEC on social media to find out the most recent news and other upcoming events!

YOP focuses on providing opportunities for proven and at-risk youth to get outdoors — a model that encourages positive development and leadership. As a benefit of UTEC’s long-term partnership with their Lowell and Lawrence Summit Project, YOP generously brought along all of the gear needed for our young adults to participate in the hike – hiking boots, pants, winter jackets, hats, and gloves. Once everyone was geared up, seven young adults and eight staff and AmeriCorps members loaded into the vans, and drove just 10 minutes down the road to the trail at the base of Mount Watatic in Ashburnham, MA.

The group decided to hike the 3-mile-long Wapack Trail, lucky to have unseasonal 50 degree weather, and a shining sun. Along the route, there were some well-needed snack breaks, as young adults learned from YOP’s instructors about navigation tactics, group dynamics, and how to respect the environment around us.

This was the first time ever hiking for many of UTEC’s young adults. Despite a very muddy ascent, we had a worthy reward to view at the top. The hike ended with a closing circle at the bottom of the mountain. Per UTEC tradition, everyone was asked to rate their mood on a scale of 1 to 10, and fortunately, there were many 10s! Everyone also shared one word to describe how they were feeling after their hiking experience. Some words shared included “accomplished,” “inspired,” “relaxed,” “fulfilled,” and of course, “tired.”

That night, everyone gathered together in the retreat center’s meeting room for a Peace Circle, a restorative justice practice that has become a part of UTEC tradition. Peace Circles can be used for many different purposes, but their primary goal is to promote healing, community, and problem solving. This Circle focused on recognizing the struggles that UTEC’s young adults face on a daily basis and the strong influences that they must fight in order to make the right choices. Peace Circles can often get emotional, but it’s important that every person gets a chance to share, and UTEC always follows the “Vegas rule” — “What happens here, stays here. What’s learned here, leaves here.”

The night ended with some well-needed time to relax and connect with others. Staff, AmeriCorps members, and young adults alike participated in a variety of activities, including board games, karaoke, and a campfire, perfect for roasting s’mores.

Food always play an important role while planning an event or a meeting. Whether you’re hosting a seminar or a wedding, why not #chooseUTEC?

At Café UTEC, you are showing your support of our mission to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disconnected youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. As one of our Workforce Development and Social Enterprise programs, our culinary program provides young people most in need the opportunity to gain valuable life skills and real earnings to help them pursue positive life choices. UTEC caters events of any size both on-site and off-site, with offerings ranging from box lunches to dinner buffets, baked goods to appetizer platters. While enjoying a delicious fresh-baked cookie, a salad of locally sourced veggies, or a multi-course dinner, you are also helping us to redefine futures. See our catering menus here.

A few of the many events and specials Café UTEC cater:

Office Lunches

Offering our new $11 per person special! We provide catering Monday to Friday 11 am – 3pm. Free delivery within Lowell and immediate vicinity. An additional delivery charge may apply outside of Lowell. Choose either a hot or cold entree, salad or soup, dessert, and bottled water. Assorted beverages are also available for an additional charge.

Corporate Dinners

Comes in a self-serve style. You can set it up however you like and the food will be ready to enjoy!

Birthday Parties

Impress your guests with the oldest, greenest LEED Platinum building in the world! Make party planning simple by renting our event spaces and catering.

Bridal/Baby Showers/Weddings

You will love the wide selection of options we have on our catering menu. From baked ziti and penne pasta to sesame noodle salad and Mediterranean platters, you will be sure to have something for everyone.

All meals are prepared using fresh ingredients and our menu is deliciously prepared by our culinary professionals, young people, and delivered directly to your office, party, or event! If you thought the food in our café was delicious, you’ve got to try it catered. For more information, please contact us at catering@utec-lowell.org or call us at (978) 856-3911.